A Fereldan Adventure
by miss.mudo
Summary: Firunja used to be a ranger until one day, she happens to run into Zevran and suddenly, her life changes... The story starts where Zevran usually joins the Warden's team, but this time, circumstances happen to be a little bit different...
1. Chapter 1

It was a bright September morning. The sun was shining with its last remaining power from the summer but yet weakened by the oncoming winter. Firunja was on her morning patrol through "her" part of the forest. "Her Forest"…yes, she really loved calling it like that since it had given her a peaceful home, freedom and everything else she had ever craved for. In return for everything the forest had given her, she saw it as her task to watch the nearby road for raiders, mercenaries and whatever might linger in the brush longing for a quick coin. The travelers she saved never took any notice of her work; she used to solve the "problems" before they could even become ones: a kick to where it really hurts, maybe a knife on the throat and the problems usually got content with their financial situation in an instant and fled. Furthermore she felt like it would be better if nobody knew of her existence or even her identity. The part of the road Firunja guarded was generally a rather save one compared to other roads through Ferelden but this morning, things seemed to be different as she heard hectic and aroused voices coming from behind a bend in the road. Slowly and very silent, she sneaked through the woods to a small hill where the sight on the road was better and obviously, there was something going on. Three men were buckling some wagons sideways, two women were rubbing their faces with ash from a nearby fire and ripped holes in their skirts. "What in the makers name is going on there? It looks pretty much like they are about to ambush someone…But who would come along this road? It's not like it was an important road through the country…Doesn't matter, this is my road, and I will not allow that!" Firunja thought still trying to get the whole scenario. Suddenly she heard the cracking of small branches being stepped on moving towards her position. Hectically she looked around for a place to hide and found a small group of bushes that would have to be sufficient in the shortness of time. She crept behind them and very, very silent rubbed her face with the dark and moist soil around her feet; this masquerade together with the piece of cloth she had always wrapped around mouth and nose had proven itself to give her the required anonymity. The steps had passed the bushes and their initiator obviously had not taken any notice of the silent watcher. As far as Firunja could see from her hideout, it was a slim blonde elf wearing light leather armor in several shades of brown and green and two daggers on his back; one of them looked very familiar to her. "Look at this, an antivan crow in my forest…didn't know they let others do their works nowadays…let me see what you are up to…" she thought amused by herself but also a little bit worried. Had the crows possibly found out where she lived? She waited a few more moments until the Antivan looked down at the preparations and with one loudless movement she was behind him, holding her dagger against his throat.

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The elf had had no chance to react. "Shhhh…one unasked sound and we might have to ruin your – as I have to admit" – beautiful skin" she whispered into his ear. The elf chuckled and lifted his hands. "Well, well if this is not pathetic…me, easily captured from behind...at least by a pretty woman, I hope." "Did I allow you to speak? I don't remember." Firunja hissed, pressing the dagger a little harder against the thin skin. "Now tell me, quickly, what leads a crow of Antiva into this part of the forest? And what is this fiasco down there about? And yes, you are allowed to answer." "Oh, look at this! I like it when women are so demanding! As you discovered razor-sharp, I am a crow and my purpose is to assassinate people that require assassination. This is what we do, no?" Firunja thought about what her victim had said and looked down at the scenario. Then she asked: "And who could be possibly worth such a…let's call it effort? You know, I guard this road and I so dislike people interfering with the safety of the travelers. Now quick, answer!" The Antivan tried to stir behind the blade and turn around to Firunja, but her grip prevented him from doing so. He was also clever enough not to reach for his blades; even he knew when a game was lost. "Haha, I see there is no dignified getting out of this…so I surrender, but only because surrendering to a beautiful woman is no shame… why not have a little bit of fun together and forget about this embarrassing incident?...Alright, the metal on my skin feels like no…so, have you heard of the grey warden and its fellows? To my customer, she is a danger to Ferelden. The rest, you can figure out yourself, I think." Firunja had heard of the warden, but only as rumor in the streets. She was said to be a noble dwarf from Orzammar but the details did not really bother her; it was just not of any interest when you lived as a ranger alone in the woods. But still, she would not accept any killing on her road. "Alright, I have heard enough. It is time to cancel this ridiculous play down there. Here is my deal: We will go down there, you tell your crew to fuck off and then I will hand you over to the warden to judge about you. I will not kill you; I do not wish to interfere with the crows that will come looking for you since you failed your task." The elf simply sighed devotionally and gave her a sign to follow him down to the ambush.


	2. Chapter 2

Here comes the next chapter! Enjoy it and always remember: reviews are candy for the author :)

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The elf had had no chance to react. "Shhhh…one unasked sound and we might have to ruin your – as I have to admit" – beautiful skin" she whispered into his ear. The elf chuckled and lifted his hands. "Well, well if this is not pathetic…me, so easily captured from behind...at least by a pretty woman, I hope." "Did I allow you to speak? I don't remember." Firunja hissed, pressing the dagger a little harder against the thin skin. "Now tell me, quickly, what leads a crow of Antiva into this part of the forest? And what is this fiasco down there about? And yes, you are allowed to answer." "Oh, look at this! I like it when women are so demanding! As you discovered razor-sharp, I am a crow and my purpose is to assassinate people that require assassination. This is what we do, no?" Firunja thought about what her victim had said and looked down at the scenario. Then she asked: "And who could be possibly worth such a…let's call it effort? You know, I guard this road and I so dislike people interfering with the safety of the travelers. Now quick, answer!" The Antivan tried to stir behind the blade and turn around to Firunja, but her grip prevented him from doing so. He was also clever enough not to reach for his blades; even he knew when a game was lost. "Haha, I see there is no dignified getting out of this…so I surrender, but only because surrendering to a beautiful woman is no shame… why not have a little bit of fun together and forget about this embarrassing incident?...Alright, the metal on my skin feels like no…so, have you heard of the grey warden and its fellows? To my customer, she is a danger to Ferelden. The rest, you can figure out yourself, I think." Firunja had heard of the warden, but only as rumor in the streets. She was said to be a noble dwarf from Orzammar but the details did not really bother her; it was just not of any interest when you lived as a ranger alone in the woods. But still, she would not accept any killing on her road. "Alright, I have heard enough. It is time to cancel this ridiculous play down there. Here is my deal: We will go down there, you tell your crew to fuck off and then I will hand you over to the warden to judge about you. I will not kill you; I do not wish to interfere with the crows that will come looking for you since you failed your task." The elf simply sighed devotionally and gave her a sign to follow him down to the ambush.

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A rather short chapter, I admit, the next one might be longer :) Hope you enjoyed it!


	3. Chapter 3

And here we go again :)

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It was a little hard for both of them walking through the brush trying not to cut anyone or being cut but they somehow managed to get down on the road unharmed. When the mercenaries noticed the two of them coming out of the woods, they raised their bows and aimed at Firunja. "Dear companions, please!" the elf said, "no need to be so rude! The lady defeated me fair and square. Now, take your coin and go home, I do not seem to need you anymore. Thank you for your patience!" He tried to bow elegantly but obviously had managed to forget the blade on his throat. He twitched back as the he felt a slight pain and suppressed a curse. The mercenaries looked at each other rather irritated but then decided that they had made a very easy coin this day and left the elf to his fate. It did not take long when they heard steps and chatting coming along the road towards them. Firunja gave the Antivan a "let me talk" look and stepped into the middle of the road when the steps were already very close to them. As the small group of people came around the corner, she recognized someone that could fit the rumors about the grey warden: a female dwarf with short dark hair, bronze skin and tattoos in her face, slightly darker then her skin. With her traveled a man in heavy templar armor, an elder woman that seemed to be a mage and a red-haired sister that instantly aimed her longbow at her when she came in sight. Firunja straightened and called: "Are you the grey warden? I do not wish to fight you! Take down your weapons and let us talk!" "It is a trap! I am sure there is a lot more where she came from!" the templar shouted and was about to storm forward as the dwarfen woman raised her hand. "Slowly, Alistair, let us see what is going on there" she said calmly and stepped towards to Firunja. "Now, who are you and what does that mean?" she said pointing at the Antivan and the smoking wagons in the back. "I am Firunja, I live here in the forest and this elf here planned to ambush you and your companions. That is what this scenery was for. Unfortunately, you missed the best part; he even had some actors playing the terrified robbed victims, it was hilarious watching them get ready." Remembering the mercenaries made her chuckle. The dwarf looked skeptic. "The gentleman here is a crow, one of the famous and feared assassins from Antiva! And a gentleman without a name, or is that part of the mystery around the crows?" she mocked the elf. "Ouch! That hurt nearly as much as the knowledge that I cannot turn around and show you what happens to such smart-mouth ladies in Antiva! My name is Zevran Arainai, so no mystery at all…" he purred. Firunja simply sighed and ignored him. "Unfortunately, he – Zevran - crossed my path and so his life is forfeited. I want to leave it to you, what will happen to him; it was you he was after, not me." The dwarf instructed his companions to lower their weapons and stepped towards Firunja. "Since we are still alive, I suppose I should believe your story. I am Cardrima and indeed, I am a grey warden. It was very noble of you to leave judgment to us but as this situation comes a bit unexpected, I might need your help. You said his live was forfeited…so I assume we could just kill him…" the warden said a little indecisive. Suddenly, life came into Zevran who had been rather passive due to the bothersome blade still present at his throat. "I do not wish to beg but please, little lady, do not kill me. It would be a horrible death not to know who the lady was that embarrassed me so deeply by taking me hostage so easily. Maybe I could be of use to you…the crows might not employ me again, I guess... Obviously, I am not the best crow, but still a crow…" he hectically interjected. Cardrima looked at Firunja. "I do not trust him; he might as well try to finish his task once we let him come with us. But he is right in some point: there is a lot of darkspawn with a desperate deathwish; we can use every blade we get. I have an idea! What, if you came with us to have an eye on him? You seem rather skilled yourself and might be able to control him…" Firunja thought about it for a moment. The thought of leaving was tempting on the one hand and making her intestines stir uncomfortably. Would she really want to leave the place that had been home to her for the last months and had enabled her a peaceful and enjoyable life? For a life eliminating darkspawn and babysitting an antivan crow? Really? But on the other hand: her opportunity to retreat was no longer secret and – she had to admit – having people around her could be a nice diversion. And - what she refused to confess to herself – Zevran could possibly be fun to have around; as flattering and cheesy as he was, he still was a treat. "Alright, I am coming with you. Who are your companions?" she asked Cardrima pointing at the other three people standing behind the dwarf and tried to look like they were not listening. "Great, then…welcome onboard! The templar is Alistair, the sister is Leliana and the mage lady is Wynne. We were on our way to find a place to rest as we are all bit exhausted; we had quite a heavy battle last night... So if you do not have any issues here anymore, we can start!" The two women smiled at each other feeling an immediate sympathy. Firunja nodded, took a piece of rope from her belt and tied Zevrans hands together. She gave him a little poke and the group continued its way along the road.

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The next Chapter might take a while but I suppose from what is in my head: it will be fun :)


	4. Chapter 4

Hello again! A new chapter is here and it is really fun...at least it was fun writing it :) Enjoy it an please leave a review!

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The other members of the group behaved friendly but distanced to the new members; especially Alistair, who obviously did not know what to think about the slim girl in the dark and worn leather armor with the dried mud veiling her face. They did not talk during the walk; the others seemed to be very tired. After a few hours they reached a glade, just big enough to pitch the tents and make a small camp fire. Firunja remembered the place; she had come through here when she wandered through the forests. In her memory, there was a small pond near the glade and she hoped that her memories would not betray her, as she now craved desperately for a bath. Mud was an awesome camouflage, but deep down inside, she still was a lady. Zevran was tied to a tree near the camp, his hands on his back; of course he could not just let Firunja tie him to the tree without noticing with a broad smile how much he liked being tied up by a young lady but she was able to maintain a professional and uninterested face. She would not make it so easy for him. She was not even sure if she was interested at all. Yes, he was awfully good looking and most surely, she would not have any problem to get a little bit of fun but she usually liked men a slight bit more…subtle.

Firunja helped the others collecting wood for the fire, set out a few traps for food and went looking for a few herbs Wynne needed. She and Leliana seemed to open up a bit, now that the assassin was safely tied to a tree and told Firunja a little bit about their journey and what they had achieved so far. The last thing they had done was helping the Circle with (how Leliana called it) a little demon problem; from this point on, Wynne had supported the group with her knowledge and her ability to listen. Right now, they were on their way to Denerim to restock their supplies before they would head south towards the Brecilian Forest where they wanted to win the Dalish as support against the Blight. Only Alistair the templar was still a little distant and every now and then shot some undefinable looks towards Firunja. She ignored him as she did not know what his problem was and as it did not really bother her. But when the camp fire was lid and all the work was done, she felt like she was in for a little challenge. It had been a long time since she had been with other people and the templar was cute somehow even though in a rather strange way. Firunja strolled towards him and smiled at him. "Hey, Alistair! Do you have anything to do right now? You know, I am a bit…dirty. I would like to take a bath but I need someone to protect me…" She let her words take effect and watched the templars expression. As she had expected from a noble man of the church, he blushed slightly. Well, that would be fun! Alistair cleared his throat. "I…I am most convinced that you do not need protection…I mean, you caught that crow…" He blushed even more. "Time for the next bait" Firunja thought to herself amused. "That is right if I am armored and armed but I tend to bath without that stuff…and now imagine someone would attack me! I would have to hunt him naked! Now tell me this would not be embarrassing!" she pictured for the templar who had now adopted a bright pink. Firunja had to try really hard not to burst in laughter; the sight of the brave and noble templar standing there gleaming like a basket full of ripe raspberries was nearly too much for her. "Yes, you…you may be right…that would be awful…I mean, not that you are awful…I mean…let's go…" Alistair mumbled and followed Firunja to the small pond. When they arrived she looked at Alistair full of expectation. He returned her glance looking rather sheepish. "So…I might take my clothes off..." she stated and started with her weapon belt containing the daggers. As Alistair obviously seemed to have petrified in the last seconds, Firunja added: "Now…" That was obviously the right keyword to break the curse and the templar turned around in an instant mumbling something into his breastplate. She smiled broadly; it was so much fun making an innocent man of the church so deranged! Making some extra sounds she stripped off her clothes, folded them neatly and took off the cloth that had hidden her face for the whole journey. As she slipped into the chilly water, she sighed delighted; on the one hand because even cold water felt like heaven after the march and on the other hand of course to give Alistair something to think about. Firunja washed her face properly and released her long brown hair from the bun she had worn all day. Now that was incredibly pleasant! When the water got too cold, she jumped out, back into her clothes and poked Alistair slightly on the shoulder. He twitched; obviously he had been a little bit lost in his thoughts and now he barely dared to turn around. Firunja chuckled. "Don't panic, I am fully dressed again if that is what worries you! Now come on, I want to check the traps to see if it will be nothing or rats for dinner!" Hesitantly, the templar turned around and stared at her. The metamorphosis was incredible: what had been a mud-drained, masked, somehow female ranger for the whole day was now a pretty young lady. Her dark brown hair flowed in big waves over her shoulders and what the mud had covered was now a delicate face with a few freckles over the nose and bright dark eyes.


End file.
